


Deserving Recognition

by completelyhopeless



Category: DCU
Genre: Community: comment_fic, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:25:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2776346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Dick search for a gift for Alfred.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deserving Recognition

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: _[Batman, Alfred + Bruce&/any + any, Gotham City contributes every rescue to Batman, but Bruce knows who really deserves the praise: the man who claims not to be a superhero as he works from home in the cave and keeps them all going, the man who raised him as his son when he didn't have to. It's high time Alfred got the thanks owed to him.](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/358286.html?thread=62748046#t62748046)_
> 
> So... this still isn't what Alfred deserves, and I don't know how good this attempt at Bruce was since it's my first, but the image of the duo shopping was impossible to ignore.

* * *

“They don't have anything for Alfred,” Dick said, his voice taking on a bit of a pout as he spoke. He still sounded so young sometimes, making Bruce wonder if he'd made the right decision in taking the boy in and teaching him how to fight beside him as Robin. True, Dick hadn't given him much choice with the way he'd gone after the man who killed his parents, but times like this reminded Bruce of how much of a child he still was.

“You don't have to buy a present tonight. I think Alfred will be happy to see you eat all your vegetables for a change.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Lame.”

Bruce gave him a look. “If it's what the person really wants, then it doesn't matter how 'lame' it is.”

“It should,” Dick said. “You know that Alfie deserves more than more than when we remember to thank him for something to eat or drink or patching our uniforms or cleaning them. He does all that stuff, and he doesn't get anything for it. You said so yourself.”

Bruce sighed. He had said it. He thought it every day, even when Alfred was fussing over him. He did more in taking care of Bruce than anyone really knew. He had raised Bruce, been the father he needed after his own had died, and he was still that now. He had always watched over him, and he would until the day he died. The fact that Bruce was alive to help anyone owed everything to Alfred. Every time someone hailed Batman as a hero, he knew that they were praising the wrong person. He'd set Dick straight about it not long ago, but he was the only one. Alfred would never get the recognition that he deserved for taking care of them.

“I want to get Alfred something really special.”

“So do I,” Bruce said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder as he remembered why he'd agreed to go shopping with him instead of letting the kid handle it on his own. Robin survived Gotham streets at night, so Dick could shop by himself. Hell, Bruce preferred it that way. “How about this?”

He reached forward and picked up a mug, showing it to Dick.

“World's Greatest Hero,” Dick read off. “It's still a mug, though.”

“No,” Bruce said. “It's a start.”


End file.
